How can immigration know how much time was spent outside the US?

[expat333]

Time spent outside the US seems to be an issue for quite a lot of GC holders, incl. myself, both for keeping the GC and for future naturalization.

After I got my immigrant visa through the GC lottery I spent 1 month in the US and got the physical GC after a few weeks, then I left the US for 5 months. When I came back to the US about 1 month ago the immigration officer asked me how much time I had spent outside the US and how long I intend to stay now. This seems to be all normal.

The interesting thing is that in my passport there is only the "admitted" stamp when I first entered the US, but no further stamp when I left the US again, no stamp of any other country I have been while out of the US for 5 months and no new stamp for my latest entry to the US. Is this normal, too?

As far as I remember there was no passport check by immigration when I left the US at LAX airport. I noticed that the immigration officer did scan my passport when I came back.

Now I am wondering how immigration can know how much time a GC holder has spent outside the US, besides just asking...

What would have happened if I had spent more than 1 year outside the US, but still would have said that I had spent only 5 months (or even only 3 weeks) outside the US?

Does immigration have access to airline passenger records? How about land border crossings then...?

Does immigration normally scan passports of GC holders when they leave the US? At least I heard that on the San Diego/Tijuana border this seems not to be the case (no exit check at all it seems) and as said, I don't remember having seen my passport scanned when I left the US at LAX airport.

Thanks a lot for all information!

 

[GotPR?]

There were a plent of threads on this topic.

They may not be able to find it by just looking at your passport and computer screen at POE immigration counter, but they can find if they are serious...

When you check in the airport ticket counter, airline workers put your passport info into the system.. If CPB computers get linked to that info, they can easily find it just by typing in your passport #. They MAY or MAYNOT have such an automated system at this moment, but the US government knows who took which flight.

 

[mmed]

Time spent outside the US seems to be an issue for quite a lot of GC holders, incl. myself, both for keeping the GC and for future naturalization.

After I got my immigrant visa through the GC lottery I spent 1 month in the US and got the physical GC after a few weeks, then I left the US for 5 months. When I came back to the US about 1 month ago the immigration officer asked me how much time I had spent outside the US and how long I intend to stay now. This seems to be all normal.

The interesting thing is that in my passport there is only the "admitted" stamp when I first entered the US, but no further stamp when I left the US again, no stamp of any other country I have been while out of the US for 5 months and no new stamp for my latest entry to the US. Is this normal, too?

As far as I remember there was no passport check by immigration when I left the US at LAX airport. I noticed that the immigration officer did scan my passport when I came back.

Now I am wondering how immigration can know how much time a GC holder has spent outside the US, besides just asking...

What would have happened if I had spent more than 1 year outside the US, but still would have said that I had spent only 5 months (or even only 3 weeks) outside the US?

Does immigration have access to airline passenger records? How about land border crossings then...?

Does immigration normally scan passports of GC holders when they leave the US? At least I heard that on the San Diego/Tijuana border this seems not to be the case (no exit check at all it seems) and as said, I don't remember having seen my passport scanned when I left the US at LAX airport.

Thanks a lot for all information!

When you apply for citizenship, you have to list all your travels for any trip more than 24 hours overseas, you should keep track of this and any fraud will revoke your application or even the citizenship if issued. Keep in mind that the stamp is something used by almost all counties but USA and it is not the document that prove your exit. It is something that said you exit that country in the computer system at that time. Having no stamp will not take you off the computer system, you are still there.

 

[ginnu]

Time spent outside the US seems to be an issue for quite a lot of GC holders, incl. myself, both for keeping the GC and for future naturalization.

After I got my immigrant visa through the GC lottery I spent 1 month in the US and got the physical GC after a few weeks,

then I left the US for 5 months.
---------------------that is ok
When I came back to the US about 1 month ago the immigration officer asked me how much time I had spent outside the US and how long I intend to stay now.
This seems to be all normal.
-----------------------------yes is is normal question
The interesting thing is that in my passport there is only the "admitted" stamp when I first entered the US, but no further stamp when I left the US again,

no stamp of any other country I have been while out of the US for 5 months
------------------Many countries Stamp the passport when you enter.
and no new stamp for my latest entry to the US. Is this normal, too?
---------------------When you enter US officer stamp the passport and write ARC. Many officers don’t stamp the passport but you should remember the date you went out of US and the Date you came to US.
As far as I remember there was no passport check by immigration when I left the US at LAX airport.
I noticed that the immigration officer did scan my passport when I came back.
-------------------that is OK
Now I am wondering how immigration can know how much time a GC holder has spent outside the US, besides just asking...
------------------------- When you took a flight for US your Name, Passport number was sent to US government by Airline.
What would have happened if I had spent more than 1 year outside the US, but still would have said that I had spent only 5 months (or even only 3 weeks) outside the US?
-----------------------If you lie and the officer finds that you are lying then they can take your GC or can send you secondary inspection and they can find all the info about you including the date you left US.

Does immigration have access to airline passenger records?
------------------------Yes.
How about land border crossings then...?
-----------------------------they have Info.
Does immigration normally scan passports of GC holders when they leave the US?
-------------------Airline does
At least I heard that on the San Diego/Tijuana border this seems not to be the case (no exit check at all it seems) and as said, I don't remember having seen my passport scanned when I left the US at LAX airport.

Thanks a lot for all information!

-----------------

 

[Jackolantern]

Now I am wondering how immigration can know how much time a GC holder has spent outside the US, besides just asking...

They don't have perfect knowledge of everybody's travels. But they do have some knowledge from the combination of passport stamps, green card scans, and airline data. However, for any individual, you don't know how much they know or don't know. They might know everything, or they might know nothing, or something in between. People have been caught lying about how long they've been away, or denied citizenship for failing to list a trip that Immigration knew about.

 

[vik_b]

Now I am wondering how immigration can know how much time a GC holder has spent outside the US, besides just asking...

!

My two cents..

Practically USCIS may not know the dates and times of very international travel from every green card holder BUT...

this is a dangerous question to ponder for a green card holder. When push comes to shove for USCIS at the time of N-400 application adjudication, all they have to prove or catch is one discrepency (presumably out of many). Then it is upto IO to decide the fate of the applicant.
It is far better to keep track of international travel and to do it legally. USCIS regulations does provide the oppertunity for the green card holders to go out time and again within reasonable limits.

Now I think if a government agency like USCIS (which has the authority to collect international travel information for GC holders) really wants to track an individual (for example in a court case or N-400 adjudication ) they can get the data from airlines, port of entry, border check points and may be FBI (this is an assumption but I believe a strong one).

vik_b

I am not a lawyer so treat my comments appropriately.

 

[schandrag]

I am interested in the intent of the OP in posting this.
Is he/she suggesting that one could lie about time spent outside the US as the USCIS may not really know all the details.?
whehtehr the USCIS knows the details or not, lying on the N-400 form in tantamount to perjury , is grounds for deportation and moreover is not right .

 

[dms1]

Practically USCIS may not know the dates and times of very international travel from every green card holder BUT...

I'm pretty sure that for air travel they know exactly. Whenever you check in to leave the US they scan both your green card and passport (and if the names don't match exactly, like mine, it causes a delay every time!). When you re-enter the US they scan either the green card or the passport or both. Therefore, they have an exact record.

I agree that for land borders they may not have departure records.

 

[Jackolantern]

I'm pretty sure that for air travel they know exactly. Whenever you check in to leave the US they scan both your green card and passport (and if the names don't match exactly, like mine, it causes a delay every time!).

They don't always scan the green card upon exit. The first time I traveled they did it, but the second time they didn't (but they did ask to look at the card). Still, although she didn't swipe the green card for that second trip, the lady at the check-in counter was looking at my passport and was typing in something while looking at it. If it was my passport number, it could easily be connected to my A# in an immigration database.

 

[GotPR?]

My two cents..

Practically USCIS may not know the dates and times of very international travel from every green card holder BUT...

All the incoming and outgoing flight from/to the US are mandated to submit the manifest to DHS. Have you noticed that you were asked for the passport and GC when you checked in at the airport counter last time you traveled ? THey have passport #, the name, and A#, flight#, destination.....etc.
The system must be computerized and then it's very easy to find your travel history on the system just by typing in your A#..
These informations will go to DHS.